• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion,but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting

3

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion,but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting

3

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
MPWMost Powerful Women

In Selecting a Woman as UN Ambassador, Trump Takes a Page From History

By
Laura Cohn
Laura Cohn
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Laura Cohn
Laura Cohn
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 23, 2016, 11:48 AM ET
Haley Federalists
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks at the Federalist Society's National Lawyers Convention, Friday, Nov. 18, 2016, in Washington. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)Cliff Owen—AP
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

In choosing South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to be his ambassador to the United Nations, President-elect Donald Trump is taking a page from history. The UN ambassador slot ranks among the top cabinet or cabinet-level jobs that have been held most often by women.

According to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, four women have held the UN position. That makes it the third-most female-populated cabinet or cabinet-level post. At No. 1 is the secretary of Labor job, which has been held by seven women, followed by the secretary of Health and Human Services post, in which five women have served. Four women have also served as the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, tying it with the UN post for third place.

Haley is also the first woman Trump has selected for one of his administration’s top positions, which will add diversity to Trump’s team. His appointments so far and his rumored cabinet are heavy on white men.

Allyson Zimmermann, executive director of Catalyst Europe, which promotes inclusive workplaces, applauded Trump’s pick of Haley and expressed hope that hers is the first of many female appointments and not a “token” nod. “The presence of more women in senior leadership positions is imperative, both in terms of providing role models for up and coming women and also breaking down the ‘think-leader-think-male’ mindset,” Zimmermann said. “Women represent half of the population and it’s crucial that their talents and abilities are not ignored.”

Subscribe to The World’s Most Powerful Women, Fortune’s daily must-read for global businesswomen.

In Haley, Trump gets a rising Republican star who became South Carolina’s first female and minority governor in 2011. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley, 44, is currently serving her second term as governor. She previously served in the state’s House of Representatives.

Her appointment as UN ambassador must be approved by the Senate, and members of the chamber, especially Democrats, may take issue with her lack of foreign policy experience. According to the Post and Courier, as governor, she worked with international companies who wanted economic development deals in South Carolina. As part of that mission, she led overseas trade missions a total of seven times. If her nomination is approved, the UN ambassador job would be her first position at the federal level.

Current UN Ambassador Samantha Power, by contrast, was a longtime State Department operative before taking up the post. She joined President Barack Obama’s State Department transition team in 2008, and then served as special assistant to the president and senior director for multilateral affairs and human rights on the National Security Council from 2009 to 2013. Likewise, Power’s predecessor, current National Security Advisor Susan Rice, served at state as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs before taking on the role at the UN.

In announcing Haley’s nomination, Trump said in a statement that she “has a proven track record of bringing people together regardless of background or party affiliation to move critical policies forward for the betterment of her state and our country.” He added: “She is also a proven dealmaker, and we look to be making plenty of deals. She will be a great leader representing us on the world stage.”

If confirmed, Haley will join Trump’s administration despite leveling sharp criticism at him as a candidate. Early in the campaign, she endorsed Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and said that if Rubio became president, “Every day will be a great day in America.” She also suggested, in her official response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address in January, that Trump represented “the siren call of the angriest voices.” While she did not mention the president-elect specifically, she imparted a more inclusive message than he presented on the campaign trail, saying: “No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country.”

Haley has since said that she voted for Trump. In an appearance at the Federalist Society after the election, she said, “While I won’t pretend to have always been (the) president-elect’s biggest cheerleader, I did vote for him and I was absolutely thrilled to see him win.”

While she lacks extensive foreign policy experience, the South Carolina governor does has a history of being able to prevail in politically-charged moments. She was praised by Republicans and Democrats alike last year, when she pushed to have the Confederate battle flag removed from the state capitol, where it had flown for more than 50 years. The order followed a racially-motivated shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston that killed nine people.

Haley has also spoken openly about the Republican party’s troubling relationship with minorities. “The problem for our party is that our approach often appears cold and unwelcoming to minorities,” Haley said, in a speech at the National Press Club in Washington last year. “That’s shameful and it has to change.”

 

About the Author
By Laura Cohn
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

rp
CommentaryLaw
Cooley CEO: Big Law won’t survive if it treats AI as just an efficiency tool
By Rachel ProffittJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
astronaut
Commentaryspace
NASA just named an all-male crew for ‘Artemis III’: what’s a woman to do?
By Savanah F.S. Bray, PhDJune 22, 2026
2 days ago
gg
PoliticsElections
‘People are tired of hearing what government can’t do’: Democratic Socialists surge nationwide
By Matt Brown and The Associated PressJune 20, 2026
4 days ago
With the exits of Apple’s Tim Cook and Dow’s Jim Fitterling, the Fortune 500 is losing two groundbreaking gay CEOs—leaving just one 
C-SuiteLeadership
With the exits of Apple’s Tim Cook and Dow’s Jim Fitterling, the Fortune 500 is losing two groundbreaking gay CEOs—leaving just one 
By Phil WahbaJune 20, 2026
4 days ago
Exclusive: Azzi Fudd joins Project B, the international league chasing a billion-dollar opportunity in global basketball
MPWSports
Exclusive: Azzi Fudd joins Project B, the international league chasing a billion-dollar opportunity in global basketball
By Emma HinchliffeJune 19, 2026
5 days ago
Arianna Huffington swears by one boundary to switch off from work every night—and Ralph Lauren’s CHRO says it’s the best thing she’s ever done too
SuccessDay in the Life of a CEO
Arianna Huffington swears by one boundary to switch off from work every night—and Ralph Lauren’s CHRO says it’s the best thing she’s ever done too
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 19, 2026
5 days ago

Most Popular

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion,but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting
Economy
The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion,but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting
By Jacqueline MunisJune 24, 2026
7 hours ago
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
Banking
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
By Jim EdwardsJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
Texas and Charlotte used to build huge McMansions—now they're copying the California design tricks they once mocked
Real Estate
Texas and Charlotte used to build huge McMansions—now they're copying the California design tricks they once mocked
By Sydney LakeJune 22, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of gold as of June 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of June 23, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 23, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.